


Hastings-on-Hudson

by zinke



Series: Barnes & Noble [2]
Category: Castle
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-27
Updated: 2011-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-15 03:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinke/pseuds/zinke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Thank you for the book, dear." Johanna gives her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "And be sure to thank Mr. Castle when you see him." Second in the 'Barnes & Noble' series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hastings-on-Hudson

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of Barnes & Noble, an AU fic that explores what might have happened if Johanna Beckett hadn’t been murdered. It’s probably best to read that story before delving into this one.
> 
> Thanks for this goes to gabolange, my self-proclaimed evil, evil muse. *g*

“Mom, he’s not going to call.” Dunking her hands into the suds-filled sink, Kate grabs hold of one of the submerged dinner plates and begin to scrub with what is probably a little more vigor than is necessary.

Johanna gives her daughter a knowing look before plucking the abused stoneware from Kate’s fingers and beginning to dry.

“He was just being nice,” Kate says with a shrug.

“Men like that don’t have to be ‘nice’.”

“Men like what?” her father says, as he brings the last of the dinner dishes into the kitchen and sets them on the counter.

Joanna pointedly ignores the warning look Kate is giving her. “Like Richard Castle.”

“The writer?”

Johanna nods. “It seems he’s smitten.”

Jim arches an eyebrow at his daughter. “Really?”

“No.” Kate pulls the plug and watches the soapy water swirl down the drain.

“Well, why the hell not?” Taking his daughter’s hands in his, Jim holds them out to the side and makes a show of giving her the once over. “Just look at you! You’re gorgeous!”

Blushing, Kate hurriedly extricates herself from her father’s grasp. “Dad—”

“Jim, let her be.” Johanna throws a spare dishtowel at his chest then points to the drying rack next to the sink.

Kate steps aside to make room for her father by the sink. “Besides,” Kate says after they’ve been working together in silence for several minutes, “it’s not as if I’m his type or anything.”

Jim grins at Johanna over his daughter’s shoulder. “Plays for the other team, then?”

“What? No!” Kate rolls her eyes as she puts the drinking glasses back into the cabinet one by one. “Every other week he’s headlining Page Six with a story about the newest socialite, actress or model he happens to be dating. And let’s face it; I am _none_ of those things.”

Johanna shakes her head. “Maybe not; but that doesn’t make you any less noteworthy. Besides; Page Six is hardly a bastion of journalistic integrity, Katie.”

“Know what? It doesn’t matter, because he’s not going to call.” The glasses away, she closes the cabinet door and glances at her watch. “And I’m going to have to get going if I want to make the last train in.”

“Sure you don’t want to just stay here tonight?”

“I can’t. Thomas and I are going over the final edits for the auction catalog first thing tomorrow morning.”

Jim nods. “Okay. Let me grab my keys.” He dips his hands into his pockets and frowns.

“Upstairs. On the bureau,” Johanna reminds him with an indulgent smile.

Jim gives his wife a peck on the lips. “I'd be lost without her.”

“Always so dramatic,” Johanna chides good naturedly as he disappears around the corner.

Kate laughs as she shrugs into her jacket and reaches for her purse. “Yeah, right.”

“And…” Joanna pulls a thermal bag from the refrigerator and hands it to Kate. “This is for you.”

“Mom I’m—”

“A grown woman who’s perfectly capable of cooking for herself etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.” she says with a wave of her hand. “It’s my birthday. Humor me.”

“Katie?” her father calls from the foyer.

“Ready!” she calls back before enveloping her mother in a hug. “Happy birthday, Mom.”

“Thank you for the book, dear.” Johanna gives her daughter a kiss on the cheek. “And be sure to thank Mr. Castle when you see him.”

“Not going to happen.”

As if on cue, Kate’s phone begins to ring.

Johanna chucks her daughter under the chin and winks. “See? I told you so.”

Fumbling through her purse, Kate pulls out her phone and stares, wide-eyed, at the unfamiliar number on the screen.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

Kate bites her lip, shaking her head slowly as the phone falls silent.

“Katie? You coming?” Jim calls impatiently from the next room.

“She’ll be right there,” Johanna replies before turning to take her daughter’s hand in hers. “Katie, let me ask you one question: did he make you smile?”

Kate hesitates, then nods.

“Then the rest of it doesn’t matter. Life is too short for regrets.”

Regaining her composure, Kate lifts her head and gives her mother an unconvincing smile. “And just think of the bragging rights.”

“The look on Emily Neuman’s face _would_ be priceless.” Johanna’s expression grows serious. “I’m your mother Katie; and I want to see you happy.”

Kate swipes the pad of her thumb over the phone’s screen before placing it back in her bag. “Thanks, Mom,” she says, giving Johanna’s hand a squeeze.

“You’re welcome.” Johanna makes a gentle shooing motion with her hands. “Now go on before your father has an apoplexy.”

Twenty minutes later as the 9:23 pulls out of Hastings-on-Hudson station, Kate takes out her phone and, after a second’s hesitation, hits redial.

 

*fin.*


End file.
